The Congress of South African Trade Unions and other labour movements on the African continent have backtracked on their criticism of the continent's economic revival plan, the New Partnership for Africa's Development.
Cosatu has been vociferous in its criticism of Nepad, saying it was devised with little or no popular participation of the civil society, including trade unions.
But in Durban on Tuesday the unions met President Thabo Mbeki, one of Nepad's key architects, and emerged smoking a peace pipe.
Cosatu secretary general Zwelinzima Vavi said Mbeki undertook to use his own position "to ensure that all issues that need popular participation are addressed over the next few months".
"We warned him that we will knock on his door, especially as the new chairman of the African Union (which will be launched to replace the Organisation of African Unity in Durban next week)," Vavi said.
As unions, Vavi said, they were satisfied with Mbeki's response and looked forward to establishing partnerships with him and other African heads of state "to defeat the scourge of poverty".
Mbeki met the unions after their workshop held by the Organisation of African Trade Union Unity and the African Regional Organisation of the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions.
